FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[formerd3db]

BTW, speaking of the Albion@Hope MIAA Championship game, I hope that you Albion supports will be there in force.  It is always great to see a huge crowd for the championship game, when it has occasionally come down to this scenario over the years.  Do you think there will be a very good Albion contingent there i.e. not just the usual "parents and friends"?

[sac]

Always fun when Albion/Hope means something, its been quite awhile since the last game meant this much between these two.  I think.

So you'll be there, right sac? (I hope you will be if Michigan is playing away. )

Probably not, I'm going over Thursday to watch the basketball game at GVSU and my one football game next weekend might be at DeWitt


early forecast for Saturday is partly sunny, high near 50

[formerd3db]

sac:
We'll, you will miss a good MIAA football game, although I can understand making two trips over there within 3 days can be a bit much.

Speaking of Hope basketball, why is the game with GVSU just an exhibition?  Hope's game against Western a couple of years ago counted as a "real" game as did Albion's game against Eastern Michigan 2 days ago and the same for Manchester College of the HCAC against Central Michigan.  I have always found it somewhat ridiculous that Michigan State has in recent years decided their games against DII schools such as Northern Michigan and GVSU are going to be "exhibitions" (now Michigan is doing it also as did Indiana when it played Franklin College last year).  I realize that some of this is due to the # of games now allowed during the season by the NCAA and that some people aren't in favor of the DI teams playing the lower division teams at all.

However, my counter to that is, "so what and why not?" Nothing wrong with playing one game like that early in the season; IMO, it is the same as the football scenarios we've discussed (i.e. for the reasons in support of that, which I've mentioned before, but won't reiterate here, and, for that matter, similar in baseball, although it is obviously it is easier to do that in baseball and basketball i.e. the small colleges playing upper division teams on occasion.  I don't see a problem with it at the very beginning of the season and if a DI team is going to go ahead and say yes, we'll play a DII or DIII team just for one game, then count it and forget the "exhibition".  On the other hand, some people would compare that to the final pre-season college scrimmages that occur in football.  Besides, it can sometimes (although usually not) be interesting.  About 5-6 years ago (I don't recall the exact year, however, it was in this last decade) Wheaton College took Northwestern to the buzzer and "way back when", Adrian College was tied at the half with the University of Detroit during one of the latter's best years (they eventually got behind by 30 and lost by 10 as I recall when the reserve players were in for the "big guys").  But they had a "blast" playing the game and it was a good experience.

[Gregory Sager]

sac:
We'll, you will miss a good MIAA football game, although I can understand making two trips over there within 3 days can be a bit much.

Speaking of Hope basketball, why is the game with GVSU just an exhibition?

D3 teams aren't allowed to play games that count until Friday, November 15. Hope's game against Grand Valley State is on Thursday, one day earlier.

[sac]

sac:
We'll, you will miss a good MIAA football game, although I can understand making two trips over there within 3 days can be a bit much.

Speaking of Hope basketball, why is the game with GVSU just an exhibition?

D3 teams aren't allowed to play games that count until Friday, November 15. Hope's game against Grand Valley State is on Thursday, one day earlier.

Its also an exhibition for GVSU.  If I recall correctly the GVSU game was added after Hope had already released its 2013-14 schedule.  So this is an add on game and GVSU's 26 game schedule was also probably full.

[Raider 68]

formerd3db,

I will be rooting for your Alma mater this Saturday. It will be a real good game, as will
the Mount Union/ John Carroll game. Home field advantage helps for both of these contest!

Talk with you late in the week!

[formerd3db]

sac:
We'll, you will miss a good MIAA football game, although I can understand making two trips over there within 3 days can be a bit much.

Speaking of Hope basketball, why is the game with GVSU just an exhibition?

D3 teams aren't allowed to play games that count until Friday, November 15. Hope's game against Grand Valley State is on Thursday, one day earlier.

Gregory:

Thanks for the information.  I wasn't aware of that regarding DIII teams.  Friday was the official first (opening) day for NCAA DI basketball teams according to several of the announcers of the broadcasting teams that I/we had listened to some of the games on the radio.  I am assuming they meant that for "official games" and not exhibitions.  I was listening to the Central Michigan/Manchester game, however, the Central Michigan announcers for that game never once mentioned it was an exhibition throughout the entire broadcast, which I now think was somewhat strange.  They certainly had mentioned that some other games that were coming up for some other teams were exhibitions, yet did not make that reference to that particular game.  In fact, they kept saying that "Manchester will be returning to their regular DIII schedule on...such and such a date".

In checking Manchester's athletic website, their men's basketball schedule does in fact list it as being an exhibition game, however, Central Michigan's website does not list it as an exhibition, but rather a regular game.  Central Michigan also played DII Lake Superior State before Manchester and that game was listed as an exhibition..

However, in checking both Albion's and Eastern Michigan's athletic websites, Albion's game with Eastern Michigan is not listed as an exhibition.  In view of your information, these aspects appear strange, yet perhaps are inadvertent omissions by the sports information departments, although the latter doesn't make sense.  You would think they would/should know which games were exhibitions and which were games that counted as regular season games-listing earlier games as exhibitions and then the others as not is puzzling!   Anyway, thanks for the info.

Also, Gregory, what is the total seasonal game limit (not counting the NCAA tournament) for DIII schools currently?  I forget what it is.

sac:
I do not follow DII basketball that closely, but is the NCAA limit for games set at 26?  DI was 32 or 33 isn't it and has that been cut back to around 30? I don't recall.

[formerd3db]

formerd3db,

I will be rooting for your Alma mater this Saturday. It will be a real good game, as will
the Mount Union/ John Carroll game. Home field advantage helps for both of these contest!

Talk with you late in the week!

Thanks Raider68!  Appreciate the support.  Of course, I don't think your alma mater will have much of a problem this Saturday!
Yes, talk to you later this week, my friend.

[sac]

sac:
I do not follow DII basketball that closely, but is the NCAA limit for games set at 26?  DI was 32 or 33 isn't it and has that been cut back to around 30? I don't recall.

D2 play 26 games + conference tournament games, so they end up around 30 for the regular season.

The GLIAC schools play 22 conference games which leaves very few opportunities for MIAA/GLIAC match-ups but they do happen.  3 this year I think.

[sac]

sac:
We'll, you will miss a good MIAA football game, although I can understand making two trips over there within 3 days can be a bit much.

Speaking of Hope basketball, why is the game with GVSU just an exhibition?

D3 teams aren't allowed to play games that count until Friday, November 15. Hope's game against Grand Valley State is on Thursday, one day earlier.

Gregory:

Thanks for the information.  I wasn't aware of that regarding DIII teams.  Friday was the official first (opening) day for NCAA DI basketball teams according to several of the announcers of the broadcasting teams that I/we had listened to some of the games on the radio.  I am assuming they meant that for "official games" and not exhibitions.  I was listening to the Central Michigan/Manchester game, however, the Central Michigan announcers for that game never once mentioned it was an exhibition throughout the entire broadcast, which I now think was somewhat strange.  They certainly had mentioned that some other games that were coming up for some other teams were exhibitions, yet did not make that reference to that particular game.  In fact, they kept saying that "Manchester will be returning to their regular DIII schedule on...such and such a date".

In checking Manchester's athletic website, their men's basketball schedule does in fact list it as being an exhibition game, however, Central Michigan's website does not list it as an exhibition, but rather a regular game.  Central Michigan also played DII Lake Superior State before Manchester and that game was listed as an exhibition..

However, in checking both Albion's and Eastern Michigan's athletic websites, Albion's game with Eastern Michigan is not listed as an exhibition.  In view of your information, these aspects appear strange, yet perhaps are inadvertent omissions by the sports information departments, although the latter doesn't make sense.  You would think they would/should know which games were exhibitions and which were games that counted as regular season games-listing earlier games as exhibitions and then the others as not is puzzling!   Anyway, thanks for the info.

Also, Gregory, what is the total seasonal game limit (not counting the NCAA tournament) for DIII schools currently?  I forget what it is.

sac:
I do not follow DII basketball that closely, but is the NCAA limit for games set at 26?  DI was 32 or 33 isn't it and has that been cut back to around 30? I don't recall.

I'm not Gregory but the simple answer is the NCAA allows D1/D2 to count games vs D3 before Nov 15 even if its an exhibition for the D3.   It is in a word........stupid!

[formerd3db]

No problem sac, the question(s) were meant for both of you (I should have clarified that a little better).  Anyway, thanks for the info and I agree with you entirely!  But...that doesn't surprise you about the NCAA does it?  It sure doesn't for me.  Someday, if we get a chance to meet in person, remind me to tell you about the ludicrous reply letter from the NCAA administrators (it was actually from a V-P instead of from the NCAA President who I addressed it to personally and which only upset me more because the latter was a DIII guy from our conference ), I received to my inquiry about some aspects of the Stagg Bowl a few years back.  A true story for another time.

[Gregory Sager]

Also, Gregory, what is the total seasonal game limit (not counting the NCAA tournament) for DIII schools currently?  I forget what it is.

D3 basketball teams (both men's and women's) are allowed to play a maximum of 25 games, not including conference tournaments and the D3 tourney.

[formerd3db]

Also, Gregory, what is the total seasonal game limit (not counting the NCAA tournament) for DIII schools currently?  I forget what it is.

D3 basketball teams (both men's and women's) are allowed to play a maximum of 25 games, not including conference tournaments and the D3 tourney.

Thanks for the answer.  I knew you would know!

[Mr. Ypsi]

I just realized that I may be 'the Holland jinx'.  Hope's only two losses are to my alma mater and to the d3 school closest to Ypsi!

Sorry, guys!

[formerd3db]

I just realized that I may be 'the Holland jinx'.  Hope's only two losses are to my alma mater and to the d3 school closest to Ypsi!

Sorry, guys!

Well,, let's hope not, Mr. Ypsi!   We darn near beat your alma mater this year (probably the closest game of all the recent series).  Anyway, maybe this Saturday it will be a different story for Hope - at least that is what I'm hoping for and I think we have a very good chance.  I anticipate a good game, hopefully a huge crowd and hope that it is not a blow-out either way- as long as we win.